#Interview with Sallie Moppert, author of Good Cop Bad Cop

Today please give a warm welcome to Sallie Moppert, the author of Good Cop Bad Cop. She’s giving us some deeper insight into her book and writing life, plus tells us which person, living or dead, she most would like to meet. Ask her more questions in the comments section. Be sure to also check out the excerpt and then follow the tour for even more! Best of luck entering the giveaway!

1) Which character was your favorite to write?

Sam was definitely my favorite character to write. His dialogue was very entertaining, especially when he can give a snarky or sarcastic remark, which he does often! It was also a fun challenge to write Sam throughout his journey, where he starts off as a good cop on the straight and narrow to his fall from grace, leading him to become the bad cop. The first story featuring Sam that I wrote ended up being the penultimate story in the collection (Good Cop Bad Cop), followed by a story in the middle (The Gray Area) and then the first story in the collection (Second Chances); I had to figure out how the Sam in Second Chances became the Sam in The Gray Area and finally the Sam we see in Good Cop Bad Cop. After writing multiple stories with his character, I actually started to feel bad about putting him through everything he goes through in the book but knew that those challenges were what made Sam such a great character and one of my most favorite to work with.

2) Will we see these characters again?

Absolutely! I have several additional stories already written and am in the process of writing a few more to finish out a secondary collection. This particular collection features additional cases with Sam’s various partners throughout Good Cop Bad Cop, including Edwin, Peter and Dahlia. Some of the stories that I’m working on may have been referenced in Good Cop Bad Cop or may feature a character from the story, such as the McKay case mentioned in Fight or Flight or a look into the history of Dillon from Into the Fire.

3) Who would be your dream narrator for the audiobook version?

I am a big Star Wars fan, so I would be over the moon for James Earl Jones to be the audiobook narrator. I also love Tim Curry; Clue! is my favorite movie and Tim Curry is just comical as Wadsworth. For those who play video games, you may have heard of Gideon Emery (he voiced Fenris in Dragon Age II, for example) and I simply love his voice. Any of these three talented gentlemen reading my work would be an unbelievable experience.

4) Why should we read your book?

I think that one of the things that makes Good Cop Bad Cop (GCBC) unique is that there is not just one mystery to solve. Each story in the collection features its own mystery that you can solve along with Sam and his partners, all while following Sam’s journey and the obstacles he faces as a cop. There is a variety of crimes, too, including murder, kidnappings, and hostage situations. Another aspect of GCBC that is fun for readers is that the police work is not solely based on amazingly high-tech forensics. Instead, there is a great deal of old fashioned police work involved in investigating the crimes. You can read through the interrogations Sam has with the suspects and try to decide if he or she is guilty before Sam and his partners are able to (or perhaps not able to) find the evidence to prove or disprove a person’s guilt. There’s also plenty of comedy and funny moments sprinkled throughout the book, too, to keep things lighthearted in deep or dark moments (and because I love comedy).

5) Tell us about your other published works

I have a few additional Sam and Dahlia stories published in an anthology called “Why?” from Zimbell House Publishing. Another story is called “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls” and is featured in “The Mountain Pass” collection, also from Zimbell House Publishing. Fun fact, the Sheriff Lucy Chandler that is in the story Fight or Flight is the same Lucy Chandler that debuted in For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls. The original Good Cop Bad Cop short story (in its original form before it went through some editing) can be found on Over My Dead Body! Website. I also had another short story, “The Man Who Called Wolf,” published in a magazine that has since been discontinued. I’m also active on fanfiction sites, so you can always find some of my pieces there. I write stories for video games and television shows.

6) What is your favorite part about writing?

My favorite part about writing is the creativity. I love being able to think up characters, dialogues, situations, etc. It’s fun to be able to become immersed in the story; when I’m really tuned into my muse, the world around me disappears and the words flow faster than I can type or write sometimes. One of my favorite things to do is to sit outside during the summer with a blanket, radio and a notebook and just write.

7) What is your least favorite part about writing?

Finding time to dedicate to it! That, and my muse has a terrible sense of timing sometimes. Apparently, times like 2 o’clock in the morning or right as I’m trying to fall asleep are a perfect chance to come up with great ideas for stories or scenes. This is one of the many reasons I keep a notebook nearby at all times, just in case 🙂

8) If you could meet one person living or dead, who would it be and why?

It would be Agatha Christie, hands down. She is by far my favorite author (I am actually in the process of collecting all of her works). I would have loved the opportunity to sit down with her and discuss her works, not only from a fan’s standpoint but from a writer’s perspective, too. Even now, decades after the mysteries were first released, Christie’s works are still captivating readers. It would have been beyond amazing to get a glimpse into her writing process and how she came up with the twists and turns that keep her mysteries riveting to this day. I think of the last ten Agatha Christie novels I’ve read, I figured out the culprit in one of them. That is a testament to her genius and her mastery of the craft.

Good Cop Bad Cop

When his mother is beaten to death by his alcoholic stepfather, fourteen-year-old Samuel Marlowe is rescued from seeking revenge against him by a chance meeting with Officer Edwin Hill. The veteran policeman takes Sam under his wing and even becomes the boy’s foster father.

Sam becomes a cop and works alongside his beloved mentor until Edwin is killed in a shooting. Hailed as a hero for his actions in the case, Sam feels like anything but. He begins a dark descent away from the stand-up policeman he once was, turning to drugs and alcohol to numb his pain and his PTSD.

The police captain assigns Sam a partner hoping to salvage what is left of him by forcing him to become a good role model for the young recruit. Needless to say, Sam is not pleased with the arrangement, protesting it up until the moment Junior Detective Dahlia Bennett enters his life.

Will he try to shake her loose? Does her by-the-book ideals and strong moral code rub off on him? Will his relaxed attitude and views on true justice start to influence her? What will ultimately lead to the two becoming a solid team? When Dahlia declares she wants to reopen some cases believing that the wrong person was sent to prison, Sam tells her straight out that in doing so, she would be putting her life at risk. As Dahlia persists, Sam is faced with the ultimate decision: let Dahlia reopen the cases and discover his crimes, or kill her to keep her from learning the truth.

Read an excerpt:

Brian stepped forward, opening the massive doors with ease, and walked straight into the sea of microphones, camera flashes, and video recorders. Roderick followed a few steps behind his loyal attorney and stood at his side as he waited for the onslaught of the inevitable media coverage that was a result of the trial’s conclusion.
“People, please,” Brian started to speak, holding his hands up to halt the millions of questions that were being voiced to him all at once.
Once the media crowd quieted down, Brian addressed them:
“I am pleased to announce that my client, Mr. Roderick Morgan, was found not guilty for the deaths of his parents, Walter and Cassidy Morgan. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan adopted Roderick and raised him as if he was their own flesh and blood. There was no way that he would repay their love and kindness by brutally murdering them as they lay sleeping in their beds.”
Roderick nudged Brian, who turned to look at him.
“May I?” he asked.
“Of course,” Brian said.
Roderick stepped in front of Brian to better face the endless crowd of media before him.
“I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this dreadful ordeal,” he said, speaking in the sweet and innocent tone that had helped him to win over the jury a short time ago.
Roderick’s gentle eyes and sincere expression then suddenly transformed to that of smugness accompanied by a sneer. “But that proves that you are all stupid as hell,” he said with a wink. “Because I got away with murder. Adios!”
Roderick pulled his designer sunglasses out of his designer suit coat pocket and put them on as his personal driver pulled up in front of the courthouse with his golden Maserati. The media watched in stunned silence as Roderick descended the concrete steps to his car, not a care in the world. Brian followed solemnly behind him, his head lowered in shame at the admission of guilt by his client.

About Sallie Moppert

A New York native, Sallie has a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a Specialization in Forensic Science. A lifelong mystery fan, she has combined her love and passion for writing with her interests in criminal justice, law, and forensic science.

Sallie currently resides in New York with her family and her “zoo,” which includes two dogs, two guinea pigs, a betta fish and a leopard gecko. She works as a freelance writer/editor and a legal assistant.

Sallie Moppert will be awarding one commenter with a $15 Amazon/BN GC+ 3 commenters will receive a prize pack consisting of pen, key chain, and magnet (US/Canada only) to randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

Hi Kim,
I have a degrew in criminal justice, so I drew from what I learned from my professors. My instructors were from various disciplines and had worked in the field and I found their first-hand experiences an invaluable learning tool. I also love mysteries and read a lot of different books, especially the classics.

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About Me

andi

Andi's other nickname is Candrel, though some also still call her Pearl because of her undying love for Pearl Jam.She is a Montessori kid who became a Montessori educator and never stops learning. You can find her all over the place learning new crafts, reading, writing, playing outside, and sampling all kinds of new foods and beverages. That is, when she's not stalking her favorite local and national musical acts. Oh yeah, don't forget to keep her stocked in copious amounts of coffee. It is necessary to fuel her.